MBAGADHI FREDERICK NKAYI: Fighting Corruption — Barugahara’s “Antidote” Is All About Walking the Talk

What the report says

Watchdog Uganda published an opinion piece by Hon. Mbagadhi Frederick Nkayi arguing that corruption continues to undermine Uganda’s development by draining public resources, weakening institutions and diverting services away from citizens. The article says resisting corruption is a constitutional duty and frames President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s call for a 2026–2031 term marked by “no sleep, no corruption” as a sign of renewed political urgency.

The piece highlights Minister for Local Government Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi and his colleague Justine Nameere as leading a campaign called “Expose the Corrupt in Local Government,” which, according to the writer, has shifted accountability efforts closer to project sites rather than remaining confined to offices. The author presents this approach as a stronger response to suspected abuse in public systems and says it has unsettled some officials and supporters who dislike the pressure.

The commentary also cites the Inspectorate of Government’s Cost of Corruption Study General Report, saying Uganda lost at least Shs9.1 trillion to corruption in 2019. The article uses those figures to illustrate the practical cost of corruption, including delayed roads, overcrowded classrooms, missing medicines and failing water projects.

More broadly, the piece argues that Uganda’s anti-corruption effort should be judged by results such as investigations, prosecutions, convictions, recovery of public funds and stronger prevention systems. It says the real solution is not just policies or institutions, but consistent action by leaders and citizens alike.